The present disclosure relates to a polymer device in which a polymer layer is inserted between a pair of electrode layers, to a method of manufacturing the polymer device, and to a lens module and an imaging unit that use the polymer device.
In recent years, high functionality of mobile electronic apparatuses such as a mobile phone, a personal computer (PC), and a personal digital assistant (PDA) has been significantly promoted, and such mobile electronic apparatuses generally include an imaging function by mounting a lens module. In such a mobile electronic apparatus, a lens in the lens module is allowed to travel along an optical axis thereof, and thereby, a focusing operation and a zooming operation are performed.
In the past, as a method of moving a lens in a lens module, a method using a voice coil motor, a stepping motor, or the like as a drive section has been generally used. In contrast, recently, in terms of miniaturization, an apparatus utilizing a predetermined actuator device as a drive section has been developed. Examples of such an actuator device may include a polymer actuator device (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-38956). In the polymer actuator device, a polymer layer (such as an ion-exchange resin film) is sandwiched between a pair of electrode layers. In such a polymer actuator device, since a difference in electric potential is caused between the pair of electrode layers, the ion-exchange resin film is displaced in a direction perpendicular to the film surface.